Eugene KimSamsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition)This year's Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet picks up exactly where last year's model left off, making key upgrades to the display and internals while improving its core stylus and multitasking features, but it's still not perfect.

This year's Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet picks up exactly where last year's model left off, making key upgrades to the display and internals while improving its core stylus and multitasking features, but it's still not perfect.

Performance and AndroidPowering the Note 10.1 is Samsung's quad-core 1.9GHz Exynos 5420 processor with 3GB RAM. That setup performed well on synthetic benchmarks, going blow for blow with recent Snapdragon 800 powered devices and slightly outpacing Tegra 4 powered tablets like the HP SlateBook x2 and Excite Write. It notched one of the highest Geekbench scores we've seen, which tests overall system performance, and managed a very impressive 59 frames per second (off screen) and 42 frames per second (on screen) in the GFXBench graphics benchmark. Web browsing tests were good, but the Tegra 4 powered SlateBook x2 handily beat the Note 10.1 in the Sunspider JavaScript benchmark, 660 milliseconds to 1095 for the Note 10.1.

There's no doubt that the Note 10.1 has raw power to spare, but real world performance was a different story. Much like what we saw with the Nexus 10, performance on the Note 10.1 isn't quite as smooth as its synthetic numbers might suggest. I saw far too many app crashes and system wide bugs that made it feel like the software was rushed on the Note 10.1. Gaming support, for instance, was erratic as graphically intensive games like Need For Speed Most Wanted and N.O.V.A. 3 routinely crashed only moments into gameplay. I noticed that after each new app was installed, the system needed to redraw elements of the home screen, like widgets. And there was just too much random lag when firing up apps or navigating around Android. Keep in mind that even the Nexus 10 and SlateBook x2 were also riddled with bugs and inconsistencies when we first tested them. Core apps like Chrome and Gmail are speedy and fluid, and the Note 10.1 is still among the fastest Android tablets available for Web browsing.

The Note 10.1 is running Android 4.3 "Jelly Bean" with Samsung's heavy handed TouchWiz skin. It's a pretty polarizing feature that will feel overwrought to Android purists. You'll find the usual bevy of Samsung features and system wide stylus integration that makes the Note line unique. New to the Note 10.1 is Samsung's My Magazine interface. It's an alternative launcher, like HTC's BlinkFeed, that you toggle with the Home button while on the main home screen. It's powered by Flipbook, so the content and presentation are spot on here. It looks and feels like the Flipbook app itself, but with an icon in the upper right corner that hides or shows shortcuts to your favorite apps. I actually like this feature, but it seems superfluous to build it into the system itself, when the app would likely suffice, especially since there's no option to make it the default interface.

In our battery rundown test, which loops a video with screen brightness set to maximum and Wi-Fi on, the Note 10.1 lasted 7 hours, 31 minutes. That's an improvement over the original's 5 hours, 42 minutes in the same test and should be enough to get through a full day of regular use.

Multimedia and ConclusionsSamsung tablets have always excelled when it comes to multimedia, and things are no different for the Note 10.1 The video player supports all of our test formats at up to 1080p resolution, while the music player had no issue with any format we threw at it. The speakers are now side-mounted, which is a downgrade from the front-facing speakers in last year's model. They get plenty loud, but as with any tablet, there's no discernible bass response. The IR-emitter enables the now familiar remote control feature you'll find on any recent Samsung device. It worked with a variety of HDTVs, including Samsung and non-Samsung, and a number of cable and satellite DVR boxes.

The 8-megapixel rear-facing camera is above average for a tablet. Images taken outdoors and in good lighting looked sharp and in focus, with mostly accurate colors and a good amount of detail. Under low lighting conditions image noise begins to creep in, but pictures are still perfectly suitable for uploading to the Web. The Note 10.1 can capture 1080p video at a steady 30 frames per second, and footage looks good in bright lighting, though it can begin to look a bit grainy in low lighting. The front-facing camera takes reasonable shots in favorable light, as well as can be expected from a 2-megapixel sensor, and works well for Skype video calls.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition picks up exactly where last year's model left off, making key upgrades to the display and internal components, while building on its core stylus and multitasking features. But for all its upgrades, this year's Note 10.1 feels rougher around the edges, and the frequent app crashes were a source of frustration. Fortunately, though, the bugs and app compatibility are things that can be fixed with time via software updates, which Samsung has been better about as of late. One key sticking point this year will be price—at $550 for the base 16GB model, the Note 10.1 is now more expensive than the $500 Apple iPad, which is still king when it comes to tablet apps. The iPad, however, can't match the Note 10.1's multitasking or pressure sensitive stylus, and those are two features that genuinely change how useful a tablet can be. It's also worth mentioning that Apple is expected to release a new iPad in the coming weeks. We don't have any details on pricing or features, but it will likely be a strong contender.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition)

Bottom Line: This year's Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet picks up exactly where last year's model left off, making key upgrades to the display and internals while improving its core stylus and multitasking features, but it's still not perfect.

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About the Author

Before joining the consumer electronics team at PCMag, Eugene worked at local news station NY1 doing everything from camera work to writing scripts. He grew up in Montclair, New Jersey and graduated from the University of Virginia in 2010. Outside of work Eugene enjoys TV, loud music, and making generally healthy and responsible life choices.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 ...

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition)

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